The container vessel Paya Lebar, operated by SeaLead Shipping, has completed a round-trip transit through the Strait of Hormuz, according to AIS data from Pole Star Global.
The Antigua and Barbuda-flagged ship entered the Arabian Gulf westbound on 13 April after remaining at anchor in Nhava Sheva, India, since late March.
During its Gulf rotation, the vessel called at Jebel Ali and Khalifa in the UAE, as well as Hamad Port in Qatar.
On 28 April, the ship transited eastbound through the Strait of Hormuz and was reported on 29 April heading back toward Nhava Sheva, passing the approximate location of the US naval blockade in the Arabian Sea.
The movement appears notable because SeaLead had advised customers on 2 March that it was suspending all Hormuz transits due to safety concerns for crews, ships, and cargo.
SeaLead has previously faced scrutiny. In July last year, the US Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned 16 chartered container ships linked to the company over alleged Iran connections. SeaLead said it moved quickly to terminate those charters and denied ties with Iran.
Earlier this year, the US Department of Justice also filed civil forfeiture complaints seeking to seize $2.4 million allegedly intended for SeaLead Shipping and its Indian subsidiary as part of a broader sanctions-evasion investigation.
